Using a USB Device for Image Download

Beginning with FastIron 08.0.90, the system can be upgraded by downloading the manifest file in the USB drive.
Note: The USB storage format must be FAT32. The USB drive can be formatted from a host computer or from an ICX device. Copying the firmware or configuration files from a host computer to USB is straightforward, like copying any other file from a computer to USB.

When TFTP server access is not available, you can use the manifest file in the USB drive to download the images of a system. Manifest image download using a USB device is not supported for FastIron 08.0.80 and earlier. In earlier releases, USB image download was supported for standalone systems only. USB image download is supported on all ICX devices.

Complete the following steps to initiate the upgrade using the USB drive.

  1. Plug in a valid USB drive (USB2 drives and backward-compatible USB3 drives) with the appropriate pre-loaded manifest files to the system.
  2. Reload the unit with the USB drive plugged in.
Note: USB image download is not supported in FIPS mode.

Software upgrade using a USB device is not triggered in the following scenarios:

  • If the USB drive is not detected during the bootup.
  • When the USB drive is corrupted, not accessible, unmountable, or if there is no valid file system in the USB drive.
  • If there is an existing configuration file in the system.

Note: To delete an existing configuration file, the configuration file must be deleted from the system using the erase startup-configuration command. Image download using a USB device is not triggered if there is a configuration file in the system.

When the image is successfully copied and upgraded, the system automatically reloads. On bootup, the system copies the configuration file from the USB drive. Then the system reloads with the updated image and the new configuration. If there are multiple configuration files in the USB drive, the configuration files are copied in the following order (in descending priority):

  • model.cfg (for example, ICX7650.cfg, ICX7550.cfg)
  • default.cfg

Upgrade Using the Manifest File in the USB Drive

Beginning with FastIron 08.0.90, the copy disk0 system-manifest command can be used to copy the manifest file from a USB device. The images stored in the USB disk are copied to the primary or secondary partition based on the choice of partition. This image can be an application image or a Unified FastIron Image (UFI).

Note: The USB storage format must be FAT32. The USB drive can be formatted from a host computer or from an ICX device. Copying the firmware or configuration files from a host computer to USB is straightforward, like copying any other file from a computer to USB.

If you are upgrading the system to FastIron 08.0.80 or later, the system will upgrade the images using UFI.

If you are downgrading the system to FastIron 08.0.70 or earlier, only the application image is supported.

Note: RUCKUS does not recommend non-UFI downgrades.

Note: After the USB image download, you must use the unmount disk0 command before removing the disk.

After the manifest file is successfully downloaded, the manifest.txt file in the flash memory is retained for any future reverse manifest.

If the image is not successfully downloaded from the manifest file, the following warning message is displayed:

Possible failure on one of the member units while downloading the image. Images may not be in sync after reloading.

You can upgrade a failed member unit. If you reload the system, an image mismatch occurs, and auto-copy upgrades the unit.

Auto-Download Using a USB Device

When the switch boots up, it checks for a valid manifest file, and if the manifest file is available, the system begins copying the files from the USB drive to the system flash memory. The system copies the images only through manifest file download and selects only the image listed in the manifest file. The system also copies the signature file and boot image files listed by the manifest file. It is recommended that the USB drive contain only one manifest file set. If there are multiple manifest files in the USB drive, the system selects the first available manifest file (the order of the manifest files is not defined). The image and boot image in the USB drive must be of a different version than in the system flash memory.

The USB status mode LED indicates the status of the bootup from USB drive.

Refer to the platform-specific hardware installation guide for more information.